I think that this was a huge chapter for secrets being revealed. I think it had loads and loads of honesty and that was a really good thing for all involved. I think an awful lot of pieces of the story are coming together for me, and I really like the picture that's shaping up inside my head. To summarize, I really, really enjoyed it.

Xavier is a good guy to have around if you're Al and Lexi. He's very perceptive and so secure in himself that he isn't much worried about making them mad by butting into their life. Because goodness knows they need somebody to butt in. Clearly they aren't getting there by themselves and their school friends have been dancing around this topic for the better part of forever. The way that Xavier uses Chris's relationship with Megan to make Lexi take a long, hard look at her own situation with Al was genius.

I feel kind of bad for Rich, but he's definitely taking it like a man. He knows that whatever is going to happen between Al and Lexi is going to happen, and he's willing to wait it out and see. In a way, I find myself wishing that he was being more of a jerk about things. That would make it easy to Lexi to simply turn away from him. Instead, he's sticking around, biding his time, hoping for Al to mess things up. And I have a premonition that Al is going to mess things up at least once or twice before the end of the story.

Ethan sounds like such a cute little boy. It's a shame that he's caught up in such difficult circumstances. I hope that his father is able to reconnect with him in a way that leaves him better off rather than worse.

Al and Lexi... wow. We've known for many chapters now that there's a lot of chemistry there. But to see it all boil over like that in a single moment was pretty amazing. Pregnancy hormones are very real, no doubt about it, but I think Lexi is blaming a little too much on them.

So in the end, this comes off like one of those things that's a mistake in the short term but probably inevitable and maybe even a little bit healthy in the long term. At any rate, it's definitely a thing, as the kids say on the Internet. ;)

Great chapter! That one was three steps forward, so I guess it's time for two steps back?

Oh, and I did see one typo:

"I can't help but wonder what would have happened if Al hadn't caught Catrine kiss Phil." - kissing Phil.

Back again soon...

Author's Response: Hey!

Yep, definitely loads of secrets coming through and pieces of the story coming together. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

Xavier really is a good guy to have around. He's not as perceptive as Emmett, some of the things he was told, but he's way more blunt about it. He'll tell you like it is, no matter what. Where as the friends would rather wait for them to figure it out because they've known them longer and wouldn't be able to handle their denials without wanting to knock their heads together... Xavier would just knock their heads together. ;)

I feel bad for Rich, I kinda started to like him when I planned his reasons for being there - he became more of a recurring character than one who stayed in the background. He couldn't be a jerk, though; I didn't want a male version of Jessica, who would try to break it up or wait for a moment to strike. He accepts that he had his moment with Alexa and the only one he'll wait for now is another chance, should one come... Now I feel really bad for him.

Ethan's adorable and I just want to hug him because of the situation he's in. He's going to be a very confused little boy.

Yeah, she blames them. She'd rather blame something that's more out of her control than think that she might lose her best friend. But she's trying a little, she wants to talk. :)

It's a thing and it might help them. ;)

Thank you for noticing the typo, I'll go fix it. And thank you for leaving such a lovely review. :D